


All's "Fair" in Love and War

by slow_poked



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, M/M, No Sex, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-03-22 19:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slow_poked/pseuds/slow_poked
Summary: It's already tough being a clown who's a bit hard on money and fulfillment- what happens when an exotic new attraction enters the carnival? Does this funfair become a battlefield or a stage set for love?





	1. The Clown with a Frown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beppi is normally a goofy and cheerful clown, but lately he's been quite run down. And now a new threat is looming over his carnival, and his career.

"I do say, Baroness, your taste is quite impeccable! Am I detecting a hint of… leaf?”

Baroness von Bon Bon snickered. “Well, it  _ is  _ tea, Beppi. I sure hope it’s made of leaves.”

Beppi and the Baroness were enjoying their weekly tea time outside of her castle. As always, Beppi strived to make her laugh, and this week he was inspecting the tea like a high class wine taster. Last week, he had pretended to be a sorcerer, swirling the tea like a magic potion and contorting his body in some sort of magical transformation. The week before, he had acted as her long lost twin.

“So simple, yet so daring!” Beppi made a wide gesture before dumping the rest of the tea into his mouth. Bon Bon stifled another giggle as he nearly choked on it, letting out a squeak as it went down.

“You never fail to entertain me, do you?” she said. “Makes me wonder why you’re still single. It’s not fair that you use all your good jokes on me.”

Beppi reclined in his seat. “Well, you see, Bonnie,” he said, deepening his voice to a comical pitch, “I’m what they call a lone wolf.” He made a smooth gesture with his hands, trying to look as cool as possible.

“Oh, are you?” Bon Bon played along.

“Sure am, miss. I work alone. That’s the lonely life of an entertainer for ya.”

“But of course.”

Beppi resumed his normal attitude just as quickly as he left it. “But really, I don’t need to be worrying about whether I’m single or not right now. I’ve got my carnival, I’ve got my best friend, that’s all I need.”

Bon Bon smiled at that. She and Beppi had been best friends ever since they set up shop on the isle. Along with her court, she produced sweets out of her castle, much of which was supplied to Beppi’s park. They worked together so well, both having a passion for good old fashioned entertainment. They were each other's number one; the first to go to with problems, advice, good or bad news. But Sunday was really the only day they could sit down and hang out for a while, taking a break from their hard work.

Despite Beppi’s claims of working alone, neither friend ran their business completely without help. Bon Bon had her court, a group of rowdy individuals who shared her passion for top quality sweets. They were able to work well without her constant supervision, but she was needed to keep them in check and give them direction. Beppi, meanwhile, had a busy little staff in the carnival, with whom he was not as close to as Bon Bon was with her court. He was certainly friendly with them, but he had no giant castle for them to all kick back in together after the work day. Every night they all went their separate ways, Beppi heading home on his own. But he preferred this way of life. He was very particular about the way he ran his park, and almost came off as a little bossy, not feeling comfortable taking a break and leaving the staff alone for longer than Sunday teatime allowed. From the outside, one might assume that the regal Bon Bon would be the more bossy one, but it was in fact the cheerful clown that took his leader position extremely seriously.

Beppi’s foot twitched impatiently as he ate. He loved every moment he spent with Bon Bon, but the responsibility of his job was always chewing at his mind, trying to pull him back. “Well, I best be going,” he said after finishing his snack. “The coaster needs some repairs.” He stood up, stretching.

“So soon?” Bon Bon said, sounding a bit dejected. “I know you don’t have the same luxuries as we do here, but you can afford to take a bit more time to relax, can’t you?”

Beppi sighed. “I’m sorry, Bonnie, but I’ve put off fixing the coaster all weekend. I’ll make it up to you.” He made his way towards the gate, trying not to look too pained to be leaving. But before he made it halfway down the walk, he spotted something outside and stopped in his tracks. “What’re they doing out there?”

Bon Bon got up and trotted over to Beppi to check it out. They both peeked over the fence. Down the road, closer to Beppi’s park, some of the carnival workers were putting up a tent.  “Maybe they’re camping?” she joked.

The tent was quite large, and almost resembled a pyramid. Some of the area around it was cleared out too. Nearby was a truck that appeared full of materials and props, too dark inside to see. The truck didn’t look like anything that was normally driven around Inkwell.

“Looks like another new attraction,” Beppi said with disgust. “Can’t bear to just fix what we have, can they? All the more reason to get back to work on the coaster. Might tear it down if I don’t get back soon enough.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Beppi,” Bon Bon attempted to console him. “You’re not gonna lose your job or your visitors. I know I go a bit hard on you sometimes, but your hard work isn’t all for nothing. Sometimes we need change. But if they try and get rid of you, I’ll be on your side.” She placed a dainty hand on his shoulder. “And who knows, you might become friends with whoever they’re moving in. As long as you don’t act bitter.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Beppi said, making his way out the gate. “I’ll try to keep an…” --he stuck his thumb in his mouth and blew, inflating his head-- “open mind about it.”

“That’s the spirit,” Bon Bon said cheerfully. “Now go on, I’ll see you later!” She waved goodbye as Beppi released the air, propelling him out the gate and past the tent towards his park. He gave the tent a skeptical side eye as he flew past. Even if he promised to be open towards it, he couldn’t help but not trust it. He knew he was bitter, but no one besides Bon Bon needed to know it. He believed he had the right to feel this way, though. Since the opening of the casino, less and less people would come to the carnival. Why pay to just have fun when you can have much more fun with the added prospect of great riches? It was all a scam, Beppi knew, despite the fact that his carnival games may or may not be slightly rigged. But hey, at least he wasn’t asking people to sell their souls to play in the shooting gallery.

Beppi’s balloon dogs barked upon his return. “Good afternoon, my lovelies,” he greeted them before snatching up his toolbox and hopping onto the coaster. Last week some kid dropped his ice cream, jamming and short circuiting the ride. It stopped right on top of the highest peak, and the passengers had to be airlifted off the ride. Whatever mechanism it got caught in, Beppi had been struggling with it since the incident. Scrubbing sticky ice cream was one thing; getting it out of the wires and gears was tedious. Another addition to his fear of losing visitors.

Hearing a clunk deep inside the mechanism, he extended his flexible arm into a crevice, bending and twisting until he felt a foreign object, slowly extracting--

“A shoe? Really?” Beppi wiped his sweat as he tossed it away, his dogs eagerly hopping over to chew on it. That wasn’t even in the top ten weirdest things that he’s found caught in the ride. Such a list included car parts, fruit cakes, and the reigning champion, an extra ribbed horse dildo.

“Well, let’s hope that’s it,” he said, climbing into the ride himself to test it out. Extending an arm, he yanked the control lever. The ride hissed and huffed, and clanked and clunked before it started chugging along normally again. Beppi sighed in relief as he let the ride take him around a few times. He could finally open it up again. Just in time for whatever new attraction was going to try and take his customers away. Yes, he was certainly bitter.

As the ride went up and down, Beppi couldn’t help but take a peek at the tent every time the ride peaked. The workers removed props from the truck one by one, every loop of the ride. Some exotic rugs, some lamps, some pillows… what was this, the nap time tent? Beppi scoffed to himself. None of the decor gave any indication of what it could be. Some large potted plants, and… sand? These things had no place in the carnival. But he had to admit he was intrigued.

Beppi hopped off of the ride and straightened out the booth to prepare for the ride’s reopening. A few children noticed that it was about to open, and dashed over excitedly. The coaster certainly was the most popular thing in his park; it was a shame it was such high maintenance. But it was all worth it when he saw those smiling faces looking up at him. It was the reason he loved his job, after all. Their toothy grins, their wide eyes, their excited giggles. Unaware of the struggles of adult life, especially that of a clown. Beppi was blessed that he had a job where he could escape these struggles for even a few moments. With the way he worked himself and how bitter he could be, he wouldn’t have survived one day in a normal adult job. Being a clown and entertaining children was all he knew how to do.

“You kids wanna ride?” Beppi exclaimed. The children hooted and hollered in reply.

“Wahoo!” Beppi echoed the children. He called over a few employees to man the ride; he did it himself often, but today he had to fix up the rest of the park in preparation for tomorrow. He could have let himself stay with the kids, laughing and smiling as he sent someone else to clean up, but he didn’t trust anyone else to do it right. Even if entertaining was his passion, he wouldn’t be able to do it at all if he didn’t feel the place where he did it running smoothly.

So Beppi spent the remainder of the day cleaning, polishing, and shining everything in the carnival. He needed to prepare for the new arrival, making his attractions extra attractive to stop visitors from abandoning him for the new… whatever it was. It absolutely exhausted him-- he nearly fell asleep with a mop in his hand-- but it was a labor of love, so he gladly continued until the job was done. By nightfall, he found himself less nervous and almost a little excited for the newcomer to see how it would stack up against his hard work.

Shutting the park gate behind him, Beppi hummed to himself. He always enjoyed the quiet, peaceful walk home every night. Though he loved the sounds of people laughing and screaming in the park during the day, he loved being quiet and alone after a day of hard work. If all went well tomorrow, his nightly walks would remain peaceful.

He sauntered down the street, feet squeaking to the beat of his hum. The second isle was quiet and safe at all times of day and night, unlike the big city. Although the flashiness of the city attracted him, he couldn’t imagine himself living anywhere else. Even if the city could end up better for business, it could also be a big risk. Beppi preferred to stay exactly where he first set up shop; it wasn’t totally broken yet, so no use trying to fix it by risking it. Just another reason that he was considered old-fashioned.

As he approached his street, a familiar glint in the moonlight caught his eye. He stopped at the intersection for a moment before deciding to check it out for the third time this week. With a cheeky grin, he slipped over to a solid fence that the light was peeking through, and climbed up. His eyes widened as they rose over the fence to see it.

The car.

That big, red car. It was so shiny and new that it caught the moonlight every night as if to call him over. It sat in that lot among other cars, but none were quite as appealing, quite as red and inviting. The first time it caught his eye, not longer after moving in and setting up his park, he knew one thing. He needed that car, more than anything in the world. He loved it only second to his job. The only difference was that his job, his passion, was something he already had and was already living, but the car was something like a distant dream. It was quite expensive; there was a reason why no one had bought it yet. But the car salesman cleaned it regularly so it would never look dirty or dusty, awaiting an owner to drive it one day. Once or twice, Beppi was allowed to test drive it, but he was nowhere near able to afford it. So every day, he saved some tips or spare change that would go towards it. He couldn’t afford to pour much of his main income into it; that needed to go towards supporting the park and of course surviving.

The bit of money he had saved from that day was jingling in his pocket as he jumped off of the fence and headed back home for the night. The sound of the coins and the sight of the car kept him going after the happiness in the park during the day faded away. He slept better at night knowing he still had something to work for, even if it was silly. Taking a nice drive by the sea on the weekends with Bon Bon, the sun shining on the red car-- that’s what he wanted to be able to do when he wasn’t working. Even the slightest competition could affect his income and reduce the momentum of his savings. And if he lost his job as well as his chances at his dream car? Well, he tried to ignore the fact that he wouldn't have anything else to live for.


	2. The Newest Attraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mysterious tent is open for visitors, and the new attraction (in more ways than one) makes a grand entrance-- and Beppi is having none of it.

Beppi barely slept. He had to pry his eyes open when the early morning sunlight tried to break in. Getting a full night of beauty sleep was crucial to him acting cheerful and at the least pleasant throughout the day. But this time the built up stress had kept him up late into the night. He was counting on being able to sleep off the previous day’s bitterness, but now that plan was out the window. He thanked himself for undergoing so many preparations yesterday; he wouldn't have it in him to do any of it in this state.

After taking way too long to peel himself out of bed, he had to rush to get ready to leave. No time to make sure he looked 100%; at least the park looked good today. That was what was truly important. All he bothered to do with himself  was cover up his dark circles in an attempt to not look downright frightening. One bad face day was enough to give a child a lifelong fear of clowns. No time for his usual full breakfast, so he stuffed some cereal into his face and nearly spilled his juice trying to gulp it down. No way was he going to be late on a day like this. He was still licking some cereal crumbs off his chin as he darted out the door and zipped down the street.

Usually, when he came to open up the park, he was the only one around. But today there were a few people milling about near the tent. Word of the new attraction opening must have already spread. He took a quick look at the setup as he fiddled with the park gate to open up. The truck was gone, and all the strange decorations were in there place. Most of it must have been inside the tent, since outside there was mainly sand and some fake palm trees. It looked horribly out of place. He could have taken a peek inside if he wanted, but he decided to play hard to get.  _ I don’t care, ya know?  _ he thought to himself.  _ Don’t care what’s in there one bit! _

Beppi’s employees filtered into the park and helped him open up all the rides and attractions as usual. Now in the full morning light, the whole park looked brand new. He wished he could find the motivation to clean it off more often; fear of getting shut down is not a very healthy motivation. He had everything in its place, not an inch askew, before opening. And to his relief, visitors started coming in shortly after. He had irrationally feared that no one would visit that day, and that he would lose all his customers forever. Probably a bit too extreme, but these are the thoughts one has when lying awake at three in the morning. He was just lucky he fell asleep before creating a theory that this was all some big scheme to get him assassinated by the government.

As quickly as his fears began to wane, they returned as he noticed people leaving the park early and less coming in. Before noon the park was nearly empty. At least he knew where they all were. After giving one more ride on the coaster, he headed to the gate to see what was up. The small group of people he had seen earlier had evolved into a full fledged crowd. They were chattering excitedly; there was no doubt that the attraction was going to open very soon. His original plan was to continue working and pay no mind, but he really had nothing to do if all his customers were outside. He grumbled to himself and sulked as to approached the crowd. Luckily, he spotted the Baroness with her court on the outskirts of the crowd and felt more comfortable about being near her.

“Morning, Beppi,” Bon Bon said cheerily. “Are you excited?”

“Something like that,” Beppi replied. He gazed across the crowd, seeing his loyal visitors betraying him. This lack of sleep was really doing a number on his pettiness level. He would never be thinking like this on a good day.

A ladder was thrust above the front out the crowd and a worker climbed up on it, holding a large banner. The crowd’s murmuring rose as the banner was hoisted above the tent. “DJIMMI THE GREAT” the sign read. The text was bold and bright red, underlined as if it was making some grand statement.

“ _ DjImMi tHe gReAt _ ,” Beppi mocked. “I doubt it’s that great.”

“You’re still hung up on that?” Bon Bon said, turning to Beppi. “I didn’t think you were taking it that seriously. Live a little.”

“Listen, Bonnie, I know I haven’t been myself since yesterday,” he admitted, trying not to sound snappy. He let out a quick sigh. “But I’m not stressed over it anymore. Really.”

“Are you sure?” She was hardly convinced. “Because you look pretty stressed.”

“Well, I might have stayed up a bit too late making sure my attractions were…” --he brandished a rubber duck and squeezed it-- “ _ squeaky  _ clean, so they can stand up to the new one. But considering that they literally spilled dirt everywhere,” He kicked some sand around, “I think I’ll be fine. Now I’m just anxious to know what it’s all about.” He was truly trying his best to fight through his bad mood and keep up his usual goofy nature; anything to stop her from worrying about him.

“I’ve heard some interesting things about Djimmi!” Sir Waffington piped up, wings flapping. “I heard that he’s a magician!”

“I heard that he can see into the future!” Kernel von Pop added. His baby corns hopped excitedly at the concept.

“See the future? He can alter your future!” said another.

“He can grant wishes! He’s a genie.”

“He can do cool card tricks.”

“He’s handsome…”

“All right, all right, you lot!” Bon Bon interrupted, swinging her cane. “All I’m hearing is a whole lot of nothing.”

“What I’m hearing,” Beppi said, “is that this guy seems to be all about that new age magic stuff. No one cares about good ‘ol magic tricks anymore, they want to see ‘real’ magic, ya know?”

“I thought you said you weren’t worried about it?” Bon Bon inquired.

“I’m not, I’m just… I’m allowed to have a bad feeling about a guy, alright?” Beppi had spent his life running his old school carnival. Well, it wasn’t old school when he first opened the park, but now people were finding interest in new things. What he called “new age magic” is one of them. More than just tricks or jokes, people seemed not to be satisfied unless an entertainer could change their life.

Before they could argue any more, the crowd stirred, and their attention was turned to the tent. Smoke spilled out of it, obscuring the vision of the crowd. Most went silent, but a few “ooh”s and “ahh”s, escaped some mouths. As the smoke twisted and cleared, a booming laugh echoed through the area, and then its owner made his appearance.

“Don’t forget, Beppi,” Bon Bon said into Beppi’s ear, “Open mind.”

Upon first impressions of Djimmi the so-called Great, it was clear that “handsome” was an understatement. He had an amazing body and he seemed to know; he was bare-armed and nearly bare-chested. His skin was a bright red that shone in the sun. His smile was the brightest white and seemed to cast its own light as he grinned at the crowd. In that regard, Beppi admitted to himself, he was pretty great. He and Bon Bon both found themselves blushing a little. But looks mean nothing in a place like this… right?

“Hello, everyone!” Djimmi boomed. He outstretched his arms as if to encapsulate the entire crowd. “Thank you for having me here and welcoming me to your isle. I’m here you provide you all with the most magnificent entertainment that you’ve ever seen!” The crowd cheered in excitement. Djimmi flexed his powerful arms to hype them up even more. When they quieted down again, he continued. “Now tell me, have you ever seen magic like this?” He waved his arms and produced a box out of thin air. With a flick of his fingers, the box swung open, jewels and treasure flying out. More cheers as people grasped for some of it. Some began to push closer, trying to get to him first. “Now, now, one at a time, please!” Djimmi said, laughing heartily again. “Single file, now!”

Beppi and Bon Bon watched as the crowd lined up at the tent to experience the supposed magic. “He sure is confident, I’ll give him that,” said Bon Bon.

“Yeah…” Beppi said, contemplating. “I guess I should see what it’s all about, too. As long as it’s over with before I have to open back up.” He tried to act as disinterested as possible while he stepped into the line himself.

“All right, Beppi, just don’t say anything dumb to him,” Bon Bon gathered her subjects. “We’re going to head home. Just make some jokes and I’m sure you two will become good friends.”

“Or  _ mortal enemies _ !” Beppi faked a menacing grin. “We’ll find out soon enough. If he can really see into the future I’m sure he’d warn me.” He kicked a few jewels and beads on the ground, dust and sand flying around them.

Bon Bon left and Beppi began his long wait in line. He listened to visitors leaving the tent as he slowly inched closer. “I can’t believe he knew that!” some said. “I bet my wish will come true!” said others. Many just said something along the lines of “He’s amazing!”. Beppi just rolled his eyes. As all good performers did, he knew there must have been some trick to what he did. He always had secret places to hide props and gags to make them seemingly appear out of nowhere, so there was no doubt that Djimmi had some too. He kept himself occupied in line by trying to figure out where he had been stashing that treasure box.

By the time he neared the front of the line, the sleep that he missed the night before was trying to catch up to him. He felt himself dozing off again; the aromatic smells wafting from the tent didn’t help. He began to really question whether staying up worrying had really been worth it. Not that he could have done anything to help it. Better to overwork yourself taking extra precautions than to be lazy and unprepared, right?

He was nearly sleepwalking when he had reached the front of the line, but was awakened when Djimmi’s deep voice reverberated from inside the tent.

“Come in, come in,” he said.

Beppi stood up straight with a jolt, then scurried into the tent. It contained all of the decor that he spotted the day before, full of pillows and blankets. They looked quite exotic and expensive; almost too nice to be laid on. Some incense was burning as well as candles scattered about. In the center of the room was a single, low table, with Djimmi seated on the opposite side. At least he appeared seated-- he was actually floating.

“Come,” he said again. “Take a seat.”

Beppi approached warily before plopping down in front of the table. He squinted his eyes, trying to find strings or something holding the floating man up.

“You’re not very familiar with any of this, are you?” Djimmi said after a moment, tilting his head.

“Yes… how did you know?” Beppi sat up straight.

“Well, I could tell you something profound, tell you I read your mind, but the reality is just that you’re quite obviously uncomfortable.” He smiled slightly and gazed at Beppi with knowing, half-lidded eyes.

“I-- I suppose so.”

“But you’re interested in what I have to show you nonetheless,” Djimmi brandished a deck of cards. “How about I just give you a quick reading.” He fanned out the deck and extended it towards Beppi. “Pick a card.”

“Any card?”

Djimmi smirked. “You’re a funny one, aren’t you? Yes, whichever one you like.” He spoke much more calm and gentle than he had when he made his grand appearance. Though it was only fabric walls that separated them from the outside, the tent seemed to have its own atmosphere that shut out any noise or bustle from the surrounding carnival.

Beppi hesitated a moment before pulling one card out from the center. He looked at it, expecting it to be a normal playing card. He knew every card trick in the book, and was prepared for any of them to be thrown at him. Instead it displayed in bold script, “DEATH”.

“Oh, great, I’m gonna die,” Beppi said, deadpan.

Djimmi let out a belly laugh. “Not quite,” he gently took the card from Beppi’s hands. “You’re not gonna die. But perhaps… let’s see…” He stared at the card as if it was going to show him something. “Perhaps you are anticipating a death? Fearing the end of something?”

Beppi felt his gut tighten at this prediction. “What do you mean?”

Djimmi leaned forward on the table, looking Beppi in the eye. “You’re quite nervous about something, even if you want to hide it. And you have to, since you need to entertain, don’t you?”

“I--” Beppi stammered, feeling himself beginning to sweat. “I mean, maybe… this is weird.” He disliked new age magic for more than just the fact that it was pushing away old school magic. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was really scared of the stuff. Everything, he believed, had a reason behind it, some trick to it. If he couldn’t see through a trick, he felt quite uneasy.

“So you’re worried about…” Djimmi continued, knowing he must be hitting a nerve but pressing nonetheless. “Your career, perhaps?”

“That’s none of your business.” Beppi snapped.

“Then why did you come here, hmm?” Djimmi pressed more. “Does this all have something to do with me? Or are you just always this uptight?”

Beppi avoided eye contact. He tried as hard as he could not to show that he was right. Completely on the money. And on top of this, he was giving a very bad first impression. “So you expect me to believe,” he said, avoiding the question, “that you got all that from that one card.” He eyed the small rectangular omen that now rested on the table.

“Just the first part. The rest was pretty obvious. You’re pretty transparent, and not just because you look like you’re made out of balloon rubber.”

“Oh, so now you’re the funny one, are you?” Beppi felt himself getting steamed. “You’re gonna try and steal that from me too, eh?”

“Wh-- steal? You think I’m trying to steal your job or something?” Djimmi raised his voice as well, planting his hands on the table. “I highly doubt I’d need to, if you’re just gonna run yourself into the ground just by the way you’re acting!”

“Not everything’s about you, just because you think you’re so ‘great’!”

“I could say the same about you, clown!”

“Everything all right in there?” came a voice from outside. Both men went silent upon realizing how loud they had gotten, with there still being a line outside.

“You should go.” Djimmi said in a firm tone.

“Fine, and I’m not coming back, either.” Beppi replied, turning towards the exit. “We’ll see who comes out on top in the end.”

“Well, in that case, I’ve already got the height advantage.”

“Again with the funny stuff… I’ll have your whole act shut down, mark my words.”

“I can’t take a clown seriously at all, you know.” Djimmi said, but Beppi had stormed out before hearing the whole sentence. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Djimmi composed himself before calling in the next person.

Beppi avoided eye contact with anyone on the way out. Even if they couldn’t tell what they were arguing about, there was no doubt the people in line heard the yelling. He headed straight for his park; he needed to open up again fast and work harder than ever today. Even if his magic was fake-- it had to be, and there was no way he was going to let anyone out-magic him-- the guy was skilled in reading people as he was at reading those dumb cards. Beppi knew that he would have been able to put up a better facade if he got more sleep, but that wasn’t meant to be, and now his bitterness was truly showing.

As he reopened the gate, Bon Bon approached him. “So, how’d it go? You two the best of friends yet?”

“Well,” sighed Beppi. “I’m pretty sure I just started a war.”


	3. Carnival Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beppi and Djimmi's feud begins as Beppi fights for his life-- but Djimmi may have motives of his own as well.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Thanks, I didn’t hear ya the fifth time.”

Bon Bon had been grilling Beppi for hours after he explained to her what happened. “Goodness, Beppi, I can’t leave you alone anywhere without you starting something! You’re so nice to everyone, would it kill you to be nice to one more person? Just the one!” She angrily pointed a finger in his face.

“He wasn’t very nice to me, either.” Beppi, although irritated, maintained his composure as he operated the rides. “If he didn’t personally attack me, maybe I would have been friendlier.”

“It doesn’t matter who said what. You have a mess to clean up now. And I’m not helping you do it.” Although Bon Bon was no mother, she sure knew how to act like one. Often, if he made a mistake, she would help him or at least give him some advice on how to fix it. But what advice was there to give now? She had warned him enough times before the encounter with Djimmi. It was Beppi’s problem now.

“I’ve got it all under control, Bonnie,” Beppi assured, yanking the lever for the coaster. “All I’ve got to do is just, well, do every single thing better than him. I’ve already got it _ in the bag _ .” He grabbed a paper bag and pulled it over his head.

“Don’t suffocate yourself.”

“Well, it’s one way to get out of this.” He swiped the bag off and emptied the coins from the ride into it. “It’s just a little rivalry; I’ll be fine.” he added, smiling as he handed a balloon to a child who was gazing wide-eyed up at him.

“If you say so,” Bon Bon gathered herself up to leave. “I’m heading back for the day now, and you better not be dead next time I see you, all right?”

“I promise this time, no trouble.”

Beppi watched Bon Bon leave until she was out of sight. He knew very well that he had lied to her face, and she may have had an inkling of that as well. They both knew that he was too stubborn to let this go; this wasn't about his career anymore. Djimmi had challenged his very pride as a clown; as an entertainer. He was absolutely planning to get in more trouble.

The remainder of the day went by quietly; as expected, everyone was fascinated by Djimmi on his first day. It didn’t get to him too much since he needed a calm day after that rough morning. The next day, however, was crucial, because Beppi knew he had to regain control as the isle shifted back into normalcy.

Feeling refreshed after a long night's sleep for once, he arrived bright and early to the park. He smiled at the sight of Djimmi’s tent bare of customers; he had the advantage of opening earlier. He always took pride in his early opening time, even if his employees were less than happy about it. But they all knew that those extra few hours could be crucial for earning a little extra at the end of the day. Families making full day trips could help them cash in if they started first thing in the morning.

By the time the other employees arrived at the park and were ready to open, Djimmi showed no signs of making an appearance. As people began to arrive with a full day in mind, Beppi almost felt like things were back to normal. Loyal visitors would remain loyal visitors after all, right?

At least, until the afternoon grew closer. Business in the park was going quite well, and the coaster was working wonderfully since Beppi’s most recent repairs. Although he was outwardly cheerful, thoughts about the confrontation with Djimmi, earlier in the back of his mind, were slowly growing towards the front until he swore they were eating his brain. Before lunch, Djimmi had opened for the day, and a few visitors left the park to check him out, but not enough to concern him yet. But curiosity over how he was standing up to his competition was still eating him up from the inside. Were those few customers all Djimmi was going to get? Or were were hordes of people on their way to the carnival getting caught up in Djimmi’s act instead? Overall, he just had a bad feeling that Djimmi had something nasty planned. Before it became too much for his mind to bear, he gave into it all after he put on his lunchtime show. 

Beppi made his way over to a wall near the gate and clumsily climbed up just so his eyes cleared the top. From this spot he had a straight shot view of Djimmi’s tent. He gasped upon seeing that a new sign has been put up under the original. “FIRST READING IS FREE” it read. He watched as some of the people who just got off the coaster were forming a line at the tent, also seeing the attractive new sign.

“Oh, so that’s how he’s gonna play it?” Beppi muttered. He knew Djimmi must have been up to something, and felt relief that his thoughts weren't stressing him out for no reason and that he wasn’t going totally crazy. But the relief was cancelled out by the fact that he did, indeed, have something to stress about.

Beppi released his grip on the wall and slid to the ground. He brushed himself off and stood up straight. “Looks like I’ve got work to do.” He eyed the supply room.

Over the course of the next half hour, he rushed between working in the supply room and entertaining kids. He would have run the coaster and rides as well, but his employees gave him a quick eye roll before agreeing to pick up the slack for him. His job was busy enough without the added stress of Djimmi; it was no wonder why he felt so run down lately even before Djimmi became a concern. Despite how bitter he could be, Beppi truly loved his job. Every stressful moment of it. The most important thing in his life was making people laugh and be happy, and if he ever suffered or felt exhausted due to it, so be it. Seeing his customers happy made it all worth it. And if he couldn’t do that anymore, he didn’t know what he would do with his life. Even if people loved Djimmi now, he knew deep down that a laugh is worth more in the long run than stressing about the future because of some cards. So no matter how silly this feud seemed to Bon Bon or anyone else, it was important to Beppi that he won.

After making the supply room a mess of wood and paint, he finally left with a sign of his own in his hands. With a grand heave, he planted the sign into the ground outside of the coaster. It read: “FIRST RIDE IS FREE”.

“That’ll do it,” he said, wiping sweat off his brow. He cheerfully greeted some kids as they jumped at the chance for a free ride. He could spare a few coins as long as the extra customers he brought in would make up for it. The ideal situation was to drive away Djimmi and still turn a profit. But beating out Djimmi was priority; otherwise there would be no profit ever again.

Beppi continued to work for another hour before feeling curiosity well up inside of him again. He was making some balloon animals, trying not to get too tense and popping a puppy right in a kid’s face. After he supplied a group of kids with their new rubber pets, he scampered over to the wall once again and peeked over. He almost fell down the wall upon seeing Djimmi in the act of putting out another sign in the place of the first one. With his strong arms, he heaved it above the sign on the tent. It looked far more professional than Beppi’s hasty handmade sign. His movement must have caught Djimmi’s eye; he turned and shot a glare at him that seemed to say, “I know what you’re playing, too.” Djimmi didn’t break eye contact until he disappeared into the tent again. The sign he left behind read: “FIRST 3-CARD READING FREE”.

Beppi slid down the wall, letting his face slam into the dirt. He already felt tired, but he wasn’t going to let Djimmi outplay him so easily. Reluctantly, he peeled himself off the ground and headed back for round two. The one thing that gave him hope was the fact that Djimmi felt the need to fight back at all. He knew Beppi wasn’t a total pushover; he was even a bit of a threat to his business.  _ If he was so confident about me running my business into the ground,  _ Beppi thought, uprooting the first sign,  _ Then how come he’s fighting back? He’s all talk. _

After another hour Beppi had a new and improved sign on display: “FIRST RIDE FREE + ONE FREE ICE CREAM”. It wasn’t long before there were tons of kids in the park all smiling with their faces full of ice cream, some ready to buy a second one. Beppi loved to see happy children even more than he loved to see sad genies.  _ Ice cream’s always a hit _ , Beppi thought as he watched,  _ bet Djimmi doesn’t have any of that in that smelly tent of his _ . He was hopeful for a victory. The carnival had much more to offer than Djimmi did; he was sure of it.

These shenanigans, however, lasted the rest of the day. Much to Beppi’s frustration, Djimmi seemed to have a lot more in store than just card tricks. So Beppi was thankful when the sun began to set and the park closed; he couldn’t afford to give anything else away for free. The last sign of the night read: “ONE FREE RIDE, ICE CREAM, AND SNACK! HOURLY FREE CLOWN SHOWS!” It was the best he could do to compete with: “ONE FREE THREE-CARD READING WITH EVERY FREE MAGIC CARPET RIDE!”.

“How am I honestly supposed to compete with a magic carpet?” Beppi uttered to himself, exhausted, as he cleaned up before closing. “If we keep this up, we’ll both go broke. And I’m not about to get taken down with him.” He finished sweeping up some trash and tossed the broom into the supply room, too tired to bother to put it away neatly. Although no amount of hardships could douse his passion, his willpower to keep going on like this was already deteriorating. He just wanted to go home, and prayed that the next day would be back to normal.

Leaving the park and locking the gate, he heard a voice in the evening silence. At first he thought it was talking to him, but then he heard a second voice, much softer. Beppi realized that it was coming from the tent, and slipped behind a bush nearby to listen.

“Only one week?” said the first voice. It was Djimmi.

“Yes, one week from today,” said the second. Beppi could make it out now, but didn’t recognize it. “I’ve got a great new location already, much better than Inkwell.”

“If you say so…” Djimmi said, sounding apprehensive. “I believe you. But I did  _ just  _ get here yesterday.”

“I know it’s sudden, but you are a traveling showman after all. Unless you are already doing well there?”

“Erm… more or less. They’ve never had someone like me come by before. I’ve gotten a lot of business and… commotion.”

“So there’s no competition out there?”

“Well… there is, actually. Just one.”

“Another magician?”

“A, uh… a clown, actually. He’s well established, but not irreplaceable.” Djimmi still didn’t seem very confident in what he was saying, as opposed to his usual way of speaking.

“Well, we can settle on something, then. If you can outplay your competition by the time a week is up, I’ll let you stay there. That’ll get the most profits, I think. But if you can’t do that, we’ll ship you off to the new location. It’s a win-win, Djimmi, you’ll end up wherever I-- we’ll make the most dough. You’ll get your compensation when I come to get you.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll try my best.” There was a flash of light and the second voice went silent. He must have been using some sort of magical communication, “magical” still being used loosely by the skeptical Beppi.

Beppi sunk farther into the bush as Djimmi exited the tent with a deep sigh. “What to do…” he said to himself, oblivious of anyone listening. “Three new locations in one month… I’m too old for this.” He leaned up against a pillar and took out his pipe. Lighting it, he took a deep breath before sinking heavier into the pillar. “If I can just get him off my case for a while, that would be lovely. Even if it’s all for nothing.” He stared up at the sky for quite a while as he smoked. The sun dipped fully into the earth and the stars began to twinkle. Beppi dared not to move; instead he found himself appreciating the night sky as well. He never really paid much attention to it, being as busy as he was. The sky really was beautiful; the moon was bright and stars surrounded it like glitter. Being far away from the city, there were fewer lights to take away the sight after Beppi turned off all the blaring carnival lights.

Djimmi broke the silence, continuing his thoughts. “And if that means putting that clown out of business…” He blew out a grand smoke ring and watched it disperse into the night. “...So be it.” After a few more minutes of contemplation, he floated back into the tent again in silence.

After he was sure the coast is clear, Beppi leaped out of the cover of the bush and scurried home. So Djimmi was just messing with him today, but after tonight… was he going to seriously try and shut him down? There was no way he could keep this up for a whole week. Just this one day was killing him, and he looked even more sick than the night before, he noticed as he looked in his bathroom mirror. Not even his makeup could hide it anymore, he admitted to himself as he washed it off for the night.

He looked at his bare skin through sleepy eyes. There was one thing he had in common with Djimmi-- he was getting old. Well, he wasn’t  _ that _ old, but he sure felt like it. There were bags under his eyes, his joints cracked, and on some days his skin was less stretchy than usual. He wondered how old Djimmi could be. No matter what that age was-- twenty? One hundred and twenty? Twenty thousand?-- he certainly looked younger than it. Magic would do that to a person, he supposed. “Magic”. Beppi scoffed when he found himself excusing Djimmi for everything with it. There was most likely some exotic treatment making him look so good.

Beppi took off his clothes, pulling his daily bag of tips from his pocket before throwing them to the ground. He emptied the bag into his car fund jar, smiling at the sound but disappointed in the amount today. It seemed to be decreasing each day, but the jar was so close to being full. It could have been clear sailing to reach his goal, until Djimmi came along. This was going to be his last obstacle. Then he could make it all up to Bon Bon with that nice car ride.

As he climbed into bed, he found himself playing with the silly idea of magic again, wondering if Djimmi could make him look younger. Maybe after all this mess had passed, he would grant him three wishes… Then he could wish for Djimmi to go away. Content with these thoughts, he finally let himself get some sleep.


	4. Going Along for the Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The week catches up to Beppi as he realizes what his actions have done to his dear friend. But with a little help, Beppi is back on his feet and ready to make up for it.

The next few days went not as Beppi had hoped, but as he expected. Their competition wasn’t as aggressively bad for business as it was that first day-- neither could afford giving out any more freebies-- but it still took a toll on them both. Instead, they played pranks on each other. Whether by flashy distractions or letting animals loose, the whole park was full of excitement-- or terror, depending on the person. Both Beppi and Djimmi were visibly exhausted but still arrived early and left late. Every day, Djimmi’s one week deadline grew closer, and the stress was pushing more and more. Thankfully, Beppi got a bit of a break when his weekly tea session with the Baroness rolled around again.

“Wait, wait, say that again?” Bon Bon interrupted Beppi as he rapidly explained the week’s events. “There was… a cat?”

“Yes, yes! Tons of them!” Beppi sounded like a madman recalling a nonsensical story. He waved his arms about as if he could see the scene unfolding in front of him. “I don’t know how he got them in the park, but there were cats everywhere! All up in the machinery! Distracting the visitors!”

“And this happened before or after the… ghosts?”

“After, but I swear there’s still a few ghosts lost in the house of mirrors scaring people off. Where could they even have come from? I bet they were all people that he’s killed. Past business rivals… all clowns. The ghosts of laughter’s past.” He raised a hand to his face in exaggerated fear.

“This all sounds… ridiculous, Beppi.” Bon Bon sighed, placing her cup down. It was still nearly full, and practically cold. She sounded less than entertained, and completely lacked the energy that Beppi was showing. “Absolutely ridiculous. This week can’t end soon enough. But as long as you’re still in business by then, he has to leave?”

“That’s what I’ve gathered,” Beppi took a large sip of tea and leaned back in his seat. “Tomorrow marks one week, and that guy on the phone will come and scoop him away.” He glided his hand into the air, musing about Djimmi being literally scooped into the sky.

“Even if he’s gone, he’s still taken quite a toll on you and the park.” She refilled her and Beppi’s cups. “You know you could have avoided this if you just went back and apologized. It was you who went over and started yelling at him, after all.”

“I would never! You already know this. It’s my--”

“Your pride as a clown, yes, I know.” She said it sharply, and Beppi felt her voice pierce through him. He rarely heard her speak like that.

“Bonnie, I--”

Bon Bon had gotten started now, and wasn’t about to cool down. “Listen, Beppi. I’ve been calm with you all week. But after hearing what you’ve let yourself go through? You’re going to need to open your eyes and put your clown pride aside for a minute. Otherwise you’re going to get hurt.”

Beppi anxiously tapped his fingers against his cup and gulped. “Bonnie… please don’t worry about me. I know I might get hurt, and I’ve lost sleep, but--”

“That’s  _ why  _ I’m worried.” Bon Bon interrupted again, sounding almost desperate. “It doesn’t matter if it’s directly affecting me, because it’s not, but seeing how tired and, and… delusional you’ve become… it’s worrying me so much, Beppi.” She leaned close to him, but he only withdrew in response, avoiding eye contact. Bon Bon continued anyway. “Just… promise me things will go back to normal when he’s gone. You haven’t cracked a joke all week, and that’s concerning me most of all.”

Beppi continued to sip on his tea and said nothing. His heart sank in his chest and he could barely swallow. He hated to see Bon Bon so worried about him. He hadn’t made an effort to see her all week; he didn’t want her to see him in such a state. No contact and no jokes would be less concerning than having contact and seeing how exhausted he was, right? But she was worried all the same. And it devastated him.

“I promise,” he finally said. “I really do want things to go back to normal. I know I am the way I am and I can’t change it, but once he’s gone I’ll put it all behind me.”

“I sure hope so,” Bon Bon replied. “For your own sake more than anything.” She pulled her seat closer to him. “But don’t forget what I told you last week. You really do need to be open to change.”

She tried to tell Beppi some lighthearted stories to cheer him up before he departed for the day, but he barely did more than crack a weak smile. The thought of upsetting Bon Bon managed to drain him more than all the events of the week had. He really had no clue that she was holding in her feelings all week, and that she herself was drained from worrying. All this drama had completely blinded him from how he could be affecting her. Now that he saw it, it hit him all at once.

Beppi took his time walking back to his park; like all Sundays, it was a quiet day. As he passed Djimmi’s tent, he shot a quick glance at it. It was quiet as well. Maybe a little too quiet. But he wasn’t complaining. He couldn’t deal with Djimmi’s antics right now. None of that really mattered to him anymore. If there was one thing he loved more than his park, it was Bon Bon. But now he was worried he was sacrificing one for the other.

Work at the park resumed as normal, but now Beppi’s exhaustion had fully caught up to him. Djimmi must have caught it in the air, because he wasn’t doing anything dramatic that day either. Things were relatively quiet after the genie put on a quick fireworks and acrobatics show. Either Djimmi had some final trick up his sleeve, or he had realized that this was his last day and the clown was only just starting to visibly wear down. Beppi wasn’t too concerned with the reason; he just needed some quiet to collect his thoughts. Rather, he was collecting one singular thought: how he would make it up to Bon Bon.

After a few hours of tiresome work, Beppi found himself nearly fallen asleep at the balloon stand. He was only awoken by the sound of wings flapping close to him. His eyes shot open to be met with those of Sir Waffington.

“Wha- wa… waffle?” Beppi sputtered, taking a few frazzled steps back. The members of Bon Bon’s court were rarely seen without her. With the additional fact that Bon Bon had explicitly refused to be involved this week, it was even more of a shock to see Waffington in front of him. “Why…” Beppi continued, collecting himself. “Why are you here?”

Waffington shifted his eyes side to side. “I know, I’m not supposed to be here,” he said warily, as if Bon Bon could hear him and spring out at any moment. “But you seem to be in big trouble. I really wanted to help.” A few drops of butter fell from his wings as he spoke.

“What help could you be?” Beppi said dryly. “Haven’t I already done enough damage?” He started tugging absentmindedly at a balloon, trying to look busy and be left alone. There was nothing wrong with Waffington; he just really wasn’t in the mood. And if Waffington got in trouble because of him? That would make everything worse. He was on thin ice with Bon Bon as it was. He could already hear her yelling at him.  _ Using a member of my court for your own problems?  _ If it didn’t all work out, she’d be even more devastated. So if he ignored him long enough, he’d get bored and leave, and wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Waffington ignored Beppi’s signals and hovered closer. “I can help you with whatever you want!” he said, dripping syrup onto the ground. “Even if it’s just little things to help the park run smoothly so you won’t get any more run down. It’s only until tomorrow, right?”

“It is,” Beppi said, jiggling the air nozzle. “But I’ve dealt with it the whole week just fine. I don’t need help for just one more day. Honest.” He was sure he couldn’t get any more run down than he already was. There would be plenty of time to recover after Djmmi left.

“Please let me help,” Waffington pressed, flapping urgently. “I can spy on Djimmi if you want, or help run the ride, or… I can just help you make up with Bon Bon. That’s really all I want to see.” His voice grew more serious. “She’s been really down lately… I don’t want you to stop being friends or anything. But I know it will take more than one person to fix it.”

Beppi looked up at the sound of that. No doubt her worrying about him had been obvious to her court. They hated to see her upset just as much as he did. He was touched that Waffington wanted to help him clean up the mess instead of being angry with him over it. And if he could help… something clicked in Beppi’s mind, and he began formulating a plan. “If you want to help me that badly,” he said, “I’d appreciate it. If you can help make the park run smoothly… back to our regular profits-- no, today we’ll do it even better.”

“Absolutely!” Waffington did a flip. A drop of syrup flew into Beppi’s face.

Beppi licked it away without overthinking it as he stood up straight. “You can help sell things, right? Run more snack stands? That’ll help.” He had only so many employees, and couldn’t keep every snack stand out at the same time. An extra pair of hands-- or wings-- could make a huge difference, even just for one day.

“Of course!” Waffington hopped in midair.

“All right,” Beppi scanned the park, feeling energy rush into him as ideas filled his brain. He began his familiar hand gestures again. “Then, you can do some flips or whatever during the clown show. Something cute.”

“I’m cute?” Waffington’s eyes sparkled.

“Of course you’re cute!” Beppi pinched Waffington’s fluffy cheek. “Waffles  _ are  _ the cutest breakfast food, after all.”

“Oh, I’m flattered!”

“ _ You’re _ flattered?” Beppi found himself grinning again. “If you can really help me out today… you’re going to make me feel real special. But more importantly, Bonnie’s gonna love it.”

“How exciting!” Waffington fluttered happily. “Where do I start?”

“You can start,” Beppi said, looking around. “By… well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to spy on Djimmi a little bit. I haven’t seen much from him today. We’d do well to check on him from time to time.” Beppi had no intention on pulling any pranks today, but it certainly would throw Djimmi off guard to do so after being silent all day. It was the least he could do after all the problems the genie had caused.

Waffington nodded and headed over to the fence and Beppi followed, curious as to what he would see. Slowly and quietly, Waffington elevated himself until he was just peeking over the fence. Djimmi would never suspect a waffle spying on him.

“What’s he doing?” Beppi asked, barely loud enough to hear, when he saw a strange expression form on Waffington’s face.

“He’s…” Waffington spoke in the same tone, “He’s gone.”

“What?”

“He, uh… his things are all there, but he’s not.”

“Is he on break?”

Waffington squinted. “People are petting his cats and dropping a few tips, but he’s just… not there.” He descended from the fence when he concluded there was nothing else to look at. “Would he go on break like that?”

Beppi rubbed his chin. “Usually if he’s on break, there’s a sign or something, but he definitely wouldn’t have his cats outside. This is… suspicious.” He paced back and forth for a moment. “But if he was in the park we would have seen him already. He’s probably sneaking around somewhere else.”

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Waffington assured. “For now, let’s get me started on the food stands so I can help as much as possible.”

“Good idea,” Beppi said, starting to head back with Waffington in tow. “Let’s not worry too much about him. He’s not here, he’s not there, I don’t care.” He truly didn’t. As far as he was concerned, he already won. There was nothing Djimmi could do to shut down the whole park in just one afternoon. And if he could? Then, it would have to be something so big that he wouldn’t be able to counter it. Beppi had done his best, and now his focus had shifted entirely from Djimmi to Bon Bon. Djimmi was leaving tomorrow, but Bon Bon would be forever-- as long as he didn’t screw anything else up with her.

After quickly sending his dogs to scare the last few cats out of the park, Beppi set up Waffington with the popcorn stand, floating high above it holding a sign. He was satisfied to see kids excitedly dash over to the stand to get popcorn from the cute waffle. Things were looking good enough that Beppi felt comfortable running off to the house of mirrors to drive out the last of the ghosts.

Still not one to mess around with the supernatural, Beppi was content to swat the apparitions away with a broom. Ghosts were still far more acceptable to him; it was all that talk of fortune telling and spells and wishes that he was skeptical about. But just because plenty of ghosts made their home across the isle doesn’t mean that people weren’t scared of them for jumping at them at the fair. 

As he approached the house of mirrors, a few terrified children darted past him. Heading towards the door they came from seemed like a good start. The place was an utter maze with five ways in and out, and enough twists and turns to make any kid or adult thirsty for a soda and large popcorn combo meal after the venture. Luckily, Beppi knew the place so well he wouldn't even get lost in his sleep. He entered without caution or hesitation, dodging a few more kids in the process. Deeper and deeper he went into the tunnels, his form reflecting on every wall, tall and stretched around him. Beppi would often spend time in there for his own self-reflection in more ways than one. He found the disorenting space quite calming.

But now it was anything but calming. The giggles of ghosts could be heard bouncing off the walls. By the sound of it, there were far fewer ghosts hanging around than earlier, but the best amount of ghosts is no ghosts. With the broom raised above his head, Beppi navigated the funhouse ready to strike any of those unwelcome guests.

The laughs grew louder as Beppi neared the center of the house. He approached a corner, knowing that they must be right around it. His knuckles hurt as he gripped the broom a bit tighter. Closer and closer he crept to the corner, careful not to make himself known. If there was one thing he knew about ghosts, they loved to scare people, and the only way to stop them was to scare them first.

He took a deep but silent breath, and leapt around the corner, swatting the broom around frantically. “Begone, spirits!” he hollered dramatically.

The ghosts were startled at first, but then just stared as Beppi waved the broom around. They were out of range, after all.

Beppi’s swinging stopped when he, too, realized that he wasn’t hitting anything. He started back at the glowing blue apparitions, some of which now flashing cheeky grins at him. “What-- what’s the big idea?” Beppi stammered. He lowered the broom but maintained his grip. “Come on, shoo.” He took a hesitant step closer.

One of the ghosts laughed. “Well, if it isn’t the big clown himself?”

Another one glided over. “There he is, there he is!”

Beppi swatted at them with the broom, but they just giggled and dodged it.

A third one chimed in. “Here to finally get rid of us, eh? Took you long enough!”

“Well,” Beppi lunged at one of the ghosts, only to fall to the ground. He had up and rubbed his head. “I haven’t exactly had the time until now.”

“So sad, so sad!” the gliding ghost sang.

“Djimmi’s kept you real busy, hasn’t he?” One teased as it admired its reflection in a mirror.

“Sure has,” Beppi was losing his patience. “But now he’s disappeared. I don’t suppose you have any idea where he is?” He stood up straight, not even bothering to bat them off anymore. Hopefully his “bore them until they leave” method would work this time.”

“Why do you care?” A ghost floated a bit too close to his face. “You worried about him?”

“I’m more worried about myself,” Beppi replied, covering his nose due to the awful… ghost stench. “I could care less whether he’s okay or not.”

“Sure you don’t, sure you don’t!”

“Oh, he doesn’t even know!”

“Ha! Doesn’t… even… know!”

“Know what?” Beppi interrupted their collective screeching.

“Don’t worry about it!” One hollered in reply. It spit some ectoplasm in Beppi’s face.

“I’ll try not to,” Beppi scraped the gunk off with the broom. “As long as you leave.”

“Ehh, fair enough,” the ghost whined. “We’re bored anyway.”

“Bored, bored!”

Beppi watched as the giggling ghosts shot away through the halls, sending glowing blue lights bouncing off every mirror. He stood there until there was no sign of them left, then sighed and made his way out as well. Whatever they were talking so strangely about, he tried not to think about it. No doubt it was just something to throw him off and mess with his head. As if any of that was going to work on their last day.

The sun was beginning to set when Beppi emerged from the house of mirrors. A line of anxious kids had formed outside, and erupted in cheer when Beppi assured them it was safe in there again. A few of them threw him coins in their excitement. It really lifted his mood, especially when he remembered how close he was to making it up to Bon Bon.

Not wanting to waste any time, he rushed over to Waffington’s food stand, where kids and adults alike were buying popcorn and drinks while happily watching the flying waffle do tricks in midair. He spotted Beppi mid-flip and did a graceful glide over to him.

“Beppi!” he exclaimed. “Did you get the ghosts out?”

“Sure did,” Beppi replied. “How’s it been on your end?”

Waffington flapped his wings. “It’s been great! I’ve had a lot of fun… and got a lot of tips! I don’t really need them, though.”

“Why not?” Beppi scooped up some popcorn for a kid with hungry eyes. “You deserve something for helping me out.”

“I’m here for Bon Bon, though, remember? If you need the extra bit to help her, I’ll let you have it.” He motioned towards a cup of coins under the stand. “Whatever you have in mind for her… that should be enough to do it, right?”

“Waffington, I…” Beppi crouched down to get the cup. It had  _ a lot  _ of coins in it. He thought his plan would take longer to carry out, but this… it would set him beyond his goal. “Thank you… you’ve done so much more than you’ve needed today. I’ll have to repay you--”

“Nope!” Waffington interrupted. “If you can make everything go back to normal, that’s enough repayment for me.”

Beppi looked at Waffington, tears almost welling up in his eyes. He knew he was getting close to the car-- he estimated a month or more to reach the right amount. After the Djimmi business, he thought he was going to be set back even farther. But with Waffington’s help, he finally had enough. He had promised Bon Bon to take her on that ride again and again, and now it was within his reach. So yes, everything would go back to normal, but more than normal. Much, much better than normal. Not only would he make it up to Bon Bon, but he would also fulfill a dream.

“All right, Waffington,” Beppi said after he cleared his choked up throat, “Let’s put on that clown show, shall we?”


	5. Falling Into Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Djimmi's last attempt to mess with Beppi fails spectacularly-- and now the two are forced to work out their problem.

Beppi’s afternoon clown show featuring Waffington was a hit, and after a little bit longer on the food stand the waffle decided to sneak on home before Bon Bon caught on to his absence. Beppi was happy to let him go; the tips that Waffington earned was enough that he didn’t even have to stay for the show if he wanted. But they had a wonderful time, and nearly forgot about all their problems. Then again, there didn’t seem to be problems anymore. Beppi would be able to buy that car and make it up to Bon Bon, Djimmi was about to leave tomorrow, and to top it all off the genie wasn’t even a bother the whole day.

Instead of leaving the park shortly after closing, Beppi decided to stay a little longer and oil the coaster. That way he wouldn’t need to get up early and do it, and could focus on Djimmi’s grand send off the next morning instead. The long, exciting day left him tired, but in a more pleasant way than the week’s drama had tired him. He couldn’t wait to climb back into his bed, but felt content enough to work a little longer. It would be a lovely moment of calm that he needed all week, so why not spend it in the park that he worked so hard to save?

Beppi was in no rush, so he made sure to get every little piece of the ride. He quietly hummed to himself as he worked. Swaying his hips to the song, he smiled at the sound of the coins jingling in his pockets. They would be all spent on that lovely car the next day, after he made sure Djimmi was gone forever. He would saunter up to the car dealer, drive off the lot, and pull up to Bon Bon’s castle, making sure everyone knew what he was about. She would hop in next to him, laughing and crying, forgetting all the stress and sadness that the two had gone through. They would feel the ocean breeze as they zoomed along the coast, and all their worries would be gone. Beppi couldn’t help giggling to himself at the thought of it all becoming a reality.

As he mused and plugged away at his work, the sun began to set, and as it disappeared into the trees and the world grew dark, he turned on a lamp to continue working. He was used to working in the dark; he could run the park with his eyes closed if he wanted. In the lamp’s small sphere of light, he checked over each cart, with every seat, wheel, everything. When he concluded that everything was in perfect working condition, he decided to clean up the food stands a bit before heading home. Still happily humming, he stood up and turned around, swinging the lamp around him. It sent splashes of light onto surfaces in the darkness, illuminating tents and reflecting off windows and mirrors.

Something bright red caught his eye in the light.

Beppi snapped out of his busy little trance and whipped his head to the side. He made eye contact with Djimmi for only a split second before the genie fell, in shock. He was on the roof of the funhouse, but lost his balance when the light surprised him. Beppi stared, equally in shock, as Djimmi slid off the roof and hit the ground with a sickening  _ thud _ .

Beppi wanted to yell, to ask him what in the world he was doing sneaking around in his park, to ask how long he was sneaking around anyway, to call him out for all the trouble he’s caused everyone, but he found himself doing none of that. Maybe earlier in the week he might have yelled immediately and tell him what for, but he had been in such a happy state all day that he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Suddenly his biggest concern was that Djimmi was dead, and possibly at his fault.

He ran up to Djimmi and kneeled down over him. His fears were quickly relieved as Djimmi let out a groan. Thankfully, the fall wasn’t fatal. Instead, Beppi noticed, his left arm was bent under him, his wrist at an uncomfortable angle. He must have landed right on it, and his body looked heavy enough to easily do some damage.

“Are you--” Beppi’s eyes darted around frantically. “Do you need some ice?”

Djimmi’s face was scrunched up in pain, but he nodded ever so slightly. Beppi stood up and dashed over to the ice cream stall, yanked up an entire bag of ice and rushed back to Djimmi’s side. His face relaxed a little as Beppi applied the bag to his arm. They sat in silence for quite a while. Beppi had no clue what else to do. He still couldn’t find it in himself to get mad at Djimmi; this injury looked like it was punishment enough. And Beppi took injuries in his park very seriously, no matter who it was. In this moment the whole feud didn’t matter to him. As far as he was concerned, it was already over. Djimmi must not have thought so, seeing as he was planning to do something or other to Beppi’s park overnight. He may have been trying a bit too hard, seeing what became of his little escapade.

Djimmi eventually found the strength to speak first. “This…” he said weakly, as if replying to Beppi’s thoughts, “went too far, didn’t it.”

“Heh,” Beppi replied, “I guess it did. It really took you nearly dying to figure that one out?”

“Already--  _ hrk--  _ making jokes, are you, clown?” He opened one eye to look up at Beppi.

“Well, you’re not dead. So of course I’m gonna make jokes at your expense.” Beppi smirked back down at him.

Djimmi chuckled softly, more amused than angered by Beppi’s snark. “You sure are something.”

They went silent for a few more minutes. All the small talk in the world couldn’t relieve this awkward experience. A cool breeze came by, making the two shiver. Djimmi grunted in pain as the shiver made his arm ache further.

“Say,” Beppi said, a thought suddenly striking him, “Shouldn’t we be getting a doctor?”

Djimmi adjusted his position on the ground. “It’s too late now. They won’t be doing house calls at this time of night, at least not over to another isle. And I don’t suppose you’ll be able to lift me all the way to the doctor’s office, eh?” He lifted an eyebrow, looking at Beppi’s noodle-like arms.

“Can’t you call up your boss to help?” Beppi recalled the man he was talking to earlier in the week.

“Absolutely no--” Djimmi’s face dropped. “How do you know about him?”

“I-- eh…” Beppi shifted his eyes away. 

“Were you spying on me?”

“Listen, genie, you can’t say a darn thing after sneaking around here like that.”

“Well… you’re right.” Djimmi looked up at the night sky. “We’re both guilty of being sneaky. But to answer your question, we’re not going to call him. I’d really rather not.”

“What about just, you know, getting up and floating away?” He was desperate to get Djimmi out of the parki, injured or not.

“I need to be able to focus my energy to do that. I’m in--  _ hrk _ \-- too much pain right now for that. It’s not every day that I fall off a roof, you know.” Djimmi winced as the ice bag began to slip.

“Geez, you really aren’t so special and magical after a little injury gets to ya.” Beppi reached over and gingerly adjusted the ice bag. “You really are getting old, aren’t you?”

Djimmi said nothing but grunted in agreement.

“So you… want me to take care of you?” Beppi frowned at the thought, but it seemed like this is what the situation was coming to. No one else was around, and he wasn’t about to bother Bon Bon about this either.

“Well, I don’t  _ want  _ you to,” Djimmi said, expressing the same feelings as Beppi, “I’d much rather literally anyone else. No offense.” He stretched his legs a little. “Eh, that’s a lie. Quite a bit of offense. But unless someone else comes along, I guess I’m stuck here. I feel sore all over. If I could move I would have run off right after hitting the ground.”

“That’s fair, I suppose.” Beppi admitted with a sigh. “Might as well get comfortable, then.” He headed to the supply room and pulled out some emergency blankets. Taking his time getting them, he took the moment to think things over. This was not how he expected his night to go. Leaving Djimmi alone would surely get him in big trouble, and he didn’t want to get anyone else involved, either. His only choice was to watch over Djimmi for the night until a doctor could come. He wished more than ever that he had gone to the gym more often; then he could just throw Djimmi back over the fence. But since Djimmi was about to get relocated, which he was clearly unhappy about, the least Beppi could do is be nice to him for a bit until then.

Beppi made his way back to Djimmi with the heavy blankets, and used them to support Djimmi’s head and arm. Djimmi whimpered a little as Beppi stabilized his wrist as much as possible. Beppi then wrapped himself in a blanket and placed one on Djimmi’s chest; the night air was a bit chilly.

“So I assume you know about the deadline, too.” Djimmi said, adjusting his blanket to no avail. It was barely large enough to cover his broad chest, let alone his whole body. But having even a spot of warm certainly helped.

“Yep,” Beppi replied. “One more day, right?”

“One more day,” Djimmi echoed. “Then I’ll be off your skin. You deserve it, though. You really got a passion for this place.”

“I wasn’t fighting so hard for nothing.” Beppi pulled his blanket tighter around himself. He felt weird hearing Djimmi compliment him.

“You know, I almost wish I could stay here.” Djimmi looked at Beppi with half lidded eyes. “Without any more fighting, of course. I just like your energy. Drove me to work harder, too.”

“Really?” Beppi sat up straight. He had assumed that Djimmi was just… like that. He seemed like he was bold and a hard worker, even if he was tricky at times. Could they have possibly had the same fears about the other? Beppi wasn’t fond with the concept of them being so similar, but it did make him feel for the guy.

“Yeah, I just… I’ve been so run down lately.” Djimmi sighed.

“Tell me about it.”

“Well, I suppose you don’t have a boss like mine, do you? He’s been moving me around so much lately. I really just wanted to… prove myself for once.” He clenched his good hand to a fist. “And settle down for a bit. So you were just an obstacle in all that. But it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll find somewhere else to settle, someone less passionate to put out of business, I suppose.”

“If you hate working for him so much, why don’t you just quit?” Beppi side-eyed the large body beside him. “You seem pretty powerful and capable to go on without someone bossing you around.”

“I would have by now if I could, but I can’t. I’m a genie, remember? And he owns my lamp. He’s an explorer, you see, so--”

“Wait, wait,” Beppi interrupted. “You’re an actual genie?”

Djimmi tilted his head in confusion. “Yes? What did you think I was?”

“I just, uh,” Beppi rubbed the back of his head. “I thought it was just part of the show. Heck, I kept calling you one as a joke.”

“Oh. Well,” Djimmi stared blankly back at Beppi. “I really am one. Not just some gimmicky magician, if that’s what you thought.” He settled back into his blankets. “Anyway, he found my lamp one day and released me. But of course, I’m bound to whoever does that. So I’m working for him until I get freed-- if at all.”

“Doesn’t he get three wishes or something? That’s how genies work, right?” Beppi furrowed his brow. He assumed that a real genie would be the same as in all the old stories.

“Of course, but he’s too smart to use them up. That’s why he has me doing magic tricks to earn him money-- we both know that if he wished to be rich, I’d figure out a way to screw him over with it. That’s lesson two of genie school.”

“What’s lesson one?”

“Throwing swords.”

“Hm.”

Djimmi stretched out his good arm and began to rub his injured arm with it. “Anyway, I’ve just accepted that he’s not gonna use up his last wish-- he used the first two eventually, but he’s been holding out for years on that last one-- so I’m never going back in that lamp. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind being trapped in there again. I don’t want anyone else worrying about me.” He stared at the ground.

“Geez, I had no idea…” Beppi inched a bit closer to Djimmi. He wanted to comfort him but had no idea what to do. If he had known about all this, he probably wouldn’t have started this big fight.

“No one does. It sort of breaks the illusion of me being great and powerful, and it’s not information I can give to people unless I know I can trust them.” He traced his thick fingers along his wristbands.

Beppi blinked at Djimmi. “Do… do you trust me?”

Djimmi let out a low chuckle. “Of course not. The only reason I’m telling you all this is because you’re never going to see me again. So it's not like you can do anything with this information.”

“Oh. Right.”

They sat in silence for quite a while longer. Djimmi appeared to be in a lot less pain, and he closed his eyes as if trying to fall asleep. Beppi found himself absentmindedly massaging the injured wrist to relax him. He felt it throbbing under his fingers, his skin cool with the ice held against it. Just like the night earlier that week, they gazed up at the moon and stars, admiring the night sky in silence. Only this time, the animosity and tension was gone. Beppi felt a bit silly knowing this could have all been avoided, but still felt relief knowing that this week was over.

“It’s really a shame I have to go,” Djimmi said quietly, eyes still closed. “I really think we could work well together. Even if you still hate me.”

“How so?”

“Take all this motivation we give each other, but in a good way, you know? Work off of each other…” He yawned deeply. “One big carnival.”

“Sounds lovely,” Beppi said, also feeling drowsy. “Rollercoaster rides and magic carpet rides and everyone eating cotton candy and no more giving it away for free.”

Djimmi chuckled again, more softly this time.

“And no more fighting,” Beppi continued. “So we’re all friends… you, me, Bonnie… everyone.” He wondered if Bon Bon would be willing to be friends with Djimmi after all this. Not that it mattered now, given he was leaving.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Djimmi asked.

“Huh?” The question threw Beppi off guard. “Well, yes. Oh course I do.”

Djimmi turned his head towards Beppi. “I know that. But I mean, do you  _ like  _ her?”

Beppi blushed a little from being asked such a question. “What? No, no. It’s not like that.”

“You sure?” Djimmi teased, grinning sleepily.

“I’m sure. Trust me.” Beppi’s eyes darted around uneasily. “It’s… it’s not like that,” he repeated.

“I get it,” Djimmi assured. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll try not to,” he let his hand slip off of Djimmi’s wrist to the ground, feeling their fingers brush each other for a moment. He shivered a little and pulled his blanket tighter.

Beppi opened his mouth to change the subject when he was interrupted by Djimmi’s snoring. He had already fallen asleep. Beppi felt a smile crawl across his face, amused by the rising and falling of the genie’s broad chest. He found himself leaning his head against it, letting the waves of the large body lull him to sleep and give him some warmth. After all, he was never going to see him again, right?


End file.
